Steven Kotler has written an open hearted and wonderful book about his experiences in the realm of dog rescue. Around age forty he found himself suffering a kind of mid-life crisis which he characterizes by quoting a line from T.S. Eliot, “I have measured out my life in coffee spoons…” His involvement in dog rescue comes about in the way that all the important things in life happen, seemingly by accident. “A Small Furry Prayer” is about both the nitty grittty of day to day life with a large pack of dogs and the amazing spiritual realizations and connections that come from living a life that is as the author terms it, “the real McCoy”. It is about being fully alive and open to the genuine possibilities for communication and compassion that can exist between species. An honest look on the inside of what some have referred to as “the cult of dog rescue”, it makes for an inspiring read.

I first read “Bones Would Rain from the Sky”  about five years ago when I was searching for approaches that I could use in the training of a difficult dog. At that time I was not ready for this book. It was much more subtle than  my understanding of the human/canine bond could apprehend.  I was still overly concerned with the mechanical and concrete aspects of life with a dog. When I came across this title in the library catalogue I recalled that I had read it but couldn’t remember it. As I went through the material I realized that it would not have seemed that useful to me or even have really made much sense to me five years ago.   Much of what the author had to say sounded quite familiar,  not because of my previous reading of it, rather because it  reflected a good deal of what I have learned by experience living and working with an amazing variety of dogs.  It was an astounding validation of my self- directed experience and research. I would recommend this book to you if you feel ready to deepen your relationship with your dog. Suzanne Clothier self identifies as a holistic dog trainer.  To give some idea as to just what this means I offer the following quote, from the opening of her chapter called “The Quality of Connection” : “When we enter into a relationship with a dog or any other being we are seeking a connection or, perhaps more accurately, what we feel as a result of this connection: comfort, love, acceptance, peace, joy. What we are seeking and striving for is a quality of connection that is – hopefully- a mutually pleasurable state, a dance of two spirits moving in agreement.”

I made this gallery to illustrate how much more apparent the cohesiveness of our little pack becomes when we move off territory. Each of us is constantly aware of the whereabouts of each of the others. The dogs check in with me and almost always come when called. They tag after each other, often sniffing or peeing (only Cleo and Benny) on the same things. I’ve seen them all sniffing the same dog at once and usually they just go through the procedure and then take off all at once, having apparently satisfied themselves that the dog under scrutiny is no problem to them.  We had a couple of tense moments this spring with Cleo exercising her penchant for large intact males and leading the rest of the pack to the vicinity of a fine specimen; unfortunately intact males of any size are the kind of dogs that I need to keep Benny away from.  But we were lucky and got a leash on Cleo and “leave it” was uttered before things got out of hand with Benny.

Arlo is just about a year old now and is typically enamoured of playing with other dogs. He even plays by himself, tossing toys and catching it, or dropping objects in water and knocking them around with his paws. He is a natural retriever,  especially in water. He is low dog on the totem pole but cheerful nonetheless. He remains confident with new dogs but somewhat less so with new people.  He can be a bit of a toy hoarder, walking around with two raw hides in his mouth while Benny and Cleo ignore him. I take them away because I can see how much it stresses him to have to guard the objects. His submissive displays are high dramas often culminating in peeing. I try to stage manage them outside. He is physically daring and unafraid of strange objects. He jumps through a hoop easily. He is gentle with people but he can be clumsy. In general he exudes an air of happiness. He’s glad he’s a dog. He’s glad he’s alive.

The last three pictures are of the dogs eating the frozen marrow bones they got that after the walk that day. The way I see it is that the walk replaces the hunt for the domestic dog pack and as the hunt, if it is successful, culminates in sharing food so should the walk.

Think about what you like to do in your leisure time. How would a dog fit into your routine? If you are the type who enjoys long runs or a bike rides on a daily basis, by all means acquire a dog who can join you. In this case, huskies, border collies, and any of the field dogs would make a good match. If you want company on the sofa when you watch movies, (Higher energy dogs are also great at this but you have to exercise them first!), you might want to consider a Pekingese or a greyhound. Many breed books rate the energy levels and exercise requirements of the various breeds. Give this information your attention; it is an important area of compatibility for both of you and will certainly influence the nature of your relationship with your dog to a large extent. Things can get stickier with mixed breeds and there’s no doubt that you are taking a gamble. But who knows? Maybe getting that mixed breed dog who is a ball of energy might be just the catalyst you need to get your own exercise routine initiated. But do be realistic about how much time and energy you can devote to exercising your dog; it is hard to change your habits. Young dogs under two years of age in some high energy breeds need a minimum of two hours of real exercise daily.

Young dogs under the age of two years in some of the more active breeds require a minimum of two hours of full-out exercise daily. That can seem like a huge chunk of time to a busy person.

A dog who does not have enough exercise will almost certainly get into plenty of trouble. The old saying “a tired dog is a good dog” is true. It’s hard get much in the way of doggy decorum from a dog who is, sometimes literally, bouncing off the walls. An inadequately exercised dog is also much less attentive and will certainly be harder to train in all areas. If you do have a high energy dog and cannot yourself provide enough exercise there is- if money is not an obstacle- the possibility of using a daycare or hiring a dog walker. Just be sure to ask for references and check them out. You want to be sure that your dog will have fun and also be safe.

It can also be a good idea to talk to people who already own the breed of dog that you’re considering. Visit dog parks; people, as a rule, love to talk about their dogs and for the most part will be honest about what life is like with them. Evaluating the energy level of a shelter or rescue dog is not difficult if the dog is no longer a puppy. Most puppies are pretty lively which makes it difficult to predict what they will be like as adults. If you are inexperienced at making these decisions take someone with you who is more knowledgeable.

It is worthwhile doing your homework on this one. Try to see beyond the inevitable cuteness factor and resist following impulses that you haven’t thought through. A dog will, hopefully, be with you for ten or twelve years or in the case of some breeds even longer. You want a companion with whom you are genuinely compatible.

Lance Mackey is off on his 1,000 mile trek

The Yukon Quest began yesterday and you can check out the mushers’ progress. One of the neatest features of this official website is the live tracking that’s available for each musher. You can see all the check point arrival and departure times for each musher and where they are on the trail at any given moment. Pretty exciting stuff. As of this posting Zack Steer is running in first place with Lance Mackey close behind. For all the details on standings and trail conditions check out Yukon Quest.

Hugh Neff has heart-to-heart with his lead dog before heading out on the trail

I’ve been looking forward to reading this book for quite a while. Its been given a nod of approval by the likes of Patricia McConnell, a behavourist whose judgment I respect. I wasn’t disappointed. This is an important book for those of us who are interested in the study of canine behaviour and who would like a deeper and more accurate understanding of dogs.  Horowitz is an ethologist; that is she studies the cognition of various species including rhinoceroses, humans and of course dogs.

What is offered to the reader between these covers is a rare opportunity to get beyond the anthropomorphisms that cloud our thinking about dogs and , “Understanding a dog’s perspective – through understanding his abilities, experience, and communication-provides that vocabulary. But we can’t translate it simply through an introspection that brings our own umwelt along….We can glimpse this by ‘acting into’ the umwelt (Perception and action combine to define and circumscribe reality for each living thing; umwelt is essentially any creature’s subjective reality.) of another animal-mindful of the constraints our sensory system places on our ability to truly do so.”

This book will lead you to be much more observant of your dog’s behaviour. After reading the section in “Inside of a Dog” that describes olfactory functioning in canines I began to notice details about how dogs sniff when out on walks. I was able to visualize the physiology of their exploration and begin to imagine the intensity of the input. It puts a whole new spin on yellow snow. As is always the case, the more one knows about a certain thing the more fascinating it becomes.

Alexandra Horowitz is a devoted and enlightened lover of dogs. Her capacity for empathy is remarkable. This book is authentic; there is no dumbing down. At the same time it is very readable; the authorial voice is warm and intimate. It manages to convey a wealth of intriguing information.

I can not resist quoting here the epigram the author has chosen to precede her text because it never fails to make me smile. Its a classic:

Outside of a dog, a book is man’s best friend,
Inside of a dog, it’s too dark to read.

Attributed to Groucho Marx